My Oslo baffle is cracked!

[ansehnlich1]

Indeed, I was lookin' in through the front door window and noticed my oslo baffle is cracked. The crack runs straight from front to back. Don't know how it happened. It's not damaged in any way, and I didn't hit it up there with wood, always careful not to do that. Maybe the chimney sweep did it by accident.

Anyway, should I be terribly concerned? Theres an insulation blanket on top of the baffle.

Anybody know where you can buy a baffle online?

 

[stoveguy13]

You need to replace it you will overfire the stove. You cant buy jotul parts on the net. any jotul dealer can order you one.

 

[ansehnlich1]

thanks stoveguy, looks like the burn tubes have to be removed to get it out, is that right?

 

[stoveguy13]

yes or you can just take the top off to do it i would take the top off it is alot easier way to do it then taking the the tubes out

 

[ansehnlich1]

I never did that either, looks like the top sits on a rope gasket, is that right? Or would I need stove cement to re-assemble?

How many bolts to remove?

thanks

 

[stoveguy13]

yes the top is gasketed there are two bolts front left and right and one back center you may need to re-gasket the top but i would think it should be fine if you snap the bolt dont worry the top and the gasket are enough of a seal

 

[ansehnlich1]

I spoke with my dealer, who did some research, I think he said he called the Jotul rep.

Seems the original baffle for the Oslo were Cast Iron, came in two pieces, and still available @ 42.81 per piece, plus shipping to the dealers business. (will not drop ship to my address)

Jotul stopped putting the cast iron baffle in because of warping issues with stove operators who would overfire their Oslo's.

THAT is why they now make vermiculite baffles, which sell for 43.54 plus shipping. (one piece)

Of course, the insulation blanked lies on top of the baffle.

What would you guys do? Try the cast iron? Wonder what the temps were these guys were runnin' to warp a cast iron baffle?

Anyhow!

I was told as long as my vermiculite baffle is not falling apart, that the crack is not a "gaping" crack, that the two halves mate together tightly, (which they do in my case) it is fine.

I'm runnin' it

 

[stoveguy13]

there should be no crack in the vermiculite you should replace it with a new one you may over fire the stove with a crack you may also see short burn times because of the the crack. replace the baffle take the top off and you need to be carefull with the blanket and you will be fine.

 

[ansehnlich1]

I hear ya stoveguy13, I'm curious about the cast iron baffle option. What say you?

I burned this Jotul today, loaded it this morning at 5:30 am, had enough coals to reload at 5:30 pm.

Just how do you think this thing will overfire? Not tryin' to be a smart arse, just wonderin'. This vermiculite baffle is cracked front to rear, it also has a half inch wool blanket layin' on top, I'm having trouble understandin' how it will overfire?

In either case, I'm going to replace for sure.

 

[stoveguy13]

it will continue to break down and will get worse and worse over time you may be fine for now but that is not desinged to have a crack in it the cast iron baffles were fine from my stand point and had little trouble from them but i have never had a a broken vemiculite one except from shipping

 

[xman23]

I've had the cast iron, burn plates in my Jotel Oslo for 9 years. There are two of them, split in the middle, actually the left and right are the same part. They over lap in the center. I have had them very, very hot, and done no damage. After sidling out the insulation blanket to the front, I wiggle the plates around lift them up over the burn tubes and they slide out the fount. I doesn't look like they will come out, but there is room to lift the plate up.

I don't know anything about there replacement. Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[Dexter]

My F600 cb top 2-piece cast iron baffle worked well for 2 to 3 years at a pop. Burning 24-7 in the winter, however, caused it to warp on the lateral (horizontal) plane very gradually. That made it get "wider" over the burn tubes, so it would push upwards at the center joint very gradually. In itself, this wasn't a problem. However, this caused the flames/heat to seek the highest point of the baffle, rather than spreading across a once-level baffle. This focused heat on the joint and caused steady disintigration. I run stove top, rear corner temps of about 525, typically. It happened anyway.

I have cut split firebricks to fit across the tubes, and hold them above the tubes with 3/16 cold rolled steel dowls. (Stove's out of warranty -- 9 yrs old). This has been working well for three seasons now. I didn't know vermiculite was available.

Dexter

 

[ansehnlich1]

I have the vermiculite baffle on order, cost about 45 bucks. Man at the hearth place I got it from said take the top off to replace, hmmmmm, just what stoveguy13 said to do

stoveguy13 = man that knows his stuff.

thank you sir.

 

[stoveguy13]

Welcome i have worked on a few F 500 and hvae one as well it is a great stove.

 

[TheFlame]

I spoke with my dealer, who did some research, I think he said he called the Jotul rep.

Seems the original baffle for the Oslo were Cast Iron, came in two pieces, and still available @ 42.81 per piece, plus shipping to the dealers business. (will not drop ship to my address)

Jotul stopped putting the cast iron baffle in because of warping issues with stove operators who would overfire their Oslo's.

THAT is why they now make vermiculite baffles, which sell for 43.54 plus shipping. (one piece)

Sorry, I'm going to have to call BS on the part where they told you it was caused by stove operators who would "overfire their Oslo's." My stove was into its 6th season of near 24/7 burning when my right cast iron baffle mysteriously warped on me. My stove has not been overfired a day in its life. No where near it, I usually run between 400-500, with an occasional jaunt up to 600.

I'm betting that the warping is inevitable, and to avoid warranty claims on it for those that experience warping before their warranty is up is why they changed the type of baffle.